Community renewal is a collaborative effort; it is placing your trust and support in your neighbors to not only rebuild and usher in new business but also to assure that you have a safe, secure space within your own community when all is said and done. Tarentum has become a hub of renewal initiatives in recent years, and this may seem overwhelming. Some may wonder: will my voice as a resident still be heard after these changes? What if all these changes do not work out?
After all, renewal should not displace, it should rejuvenate what already exists. Faith Community Partners, a new restoration initiative in Tarentum, strives to meet the needs of the community and assist vulnerable populations. The organization seeks to construct a Laundromat, a free-to-use Wi-Fi center, and safe hang-out spaces for those who need them.
As stated in Psalm 51:10-12, “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” These words mirror the pleas of struggling, tired communities seeking sustainable foundations built by trustworthy people. Community development builds bridges and creates opportunities for residents to thrive.
If the needs of our most vulnerable populations are not met, then the whole community suffers. To sum things up with an excerpt from Faith Community Partners’ mission statement, “We improve our community by improving the lives of those with the greatest needs.”
